When I’m on the road or visiting a different country, I don’t take pristine photos of everything around me.
I prefer to immerse myself in the experience of the travel, and just take snapshots of the place when something catches my eye or if there’s some downtime in between moving.
Maryland is no exception, but thanks to good friends and family, I managed to capture memories of the place that became sweeter because of their company.
Here are my three significant Maryland experiences:
My Aunt’s Historic Home
There’s plenty to love about my aunt’s home. One of these is being able to see and feel the oldest black oak tree in the entire state.
I wasn’t able to get a full length shot of the tree because I had to head down to Baltimore that morning, but it was amazing to be able to see it up close. It made me wish people in the Philippines could love their trees as much as the people in the US do.
My aunt’s furrbabies certainly made me feel welcome as well. She has two large Golden Retrievers and a Maine Coon named Bogey (13 y/o), Dugan (3 y/o), and Abby (6 y/o). My aunt loves her babies, and it warms my heart to see how they’re in very good hands.
They made me miss Sappho and Scarlet, my own furrbabies. I can’t wait to see everyone back home next week.
All this has made me appreciate the generosity and hospitality my Ai Bea and Uncle Michael have given me during my short stay. They made me feel right at home, they took care of me, checked up on me while I was at Baltimore, and welcomed me back to their place if I ever decide to travel back to the US in the future.
The best thing about them? They’re a sweet and loving couple towards each other. That I haven’t seen in a long, long while.
I felt whole through their love, and that’s something I will always be thankful for.
Scrumptious Seafood Dinner at Chesapeake Bay
On Wednesday, I got to meet up with Lexy, a good friend I met and collaborated with four years ago, for dinner at the Rusty Scupper in downtown Baltimore. I was really excited about it because it was the only chance I got to seeing the city.
Lexy works in DC as a graphic designer. Very talented, accommodating, and just a fun person to be with. She and I walked around the boardwalk to take some photos of the place before heading inside to eat.
As for dinner, the food was incredible. I had trout wrapped in bacon, and a rich chocolate indulgence for dessert.
The night just went by as we shared stories of home, family, work, and just anything under the sun.
The night wasn’t over though. After dinner, she took me around the city to see what it’s like at night. We passed by Phillips, which is right next to the huge Barnes & Noble branch. Sadly it was closed by the time we got there.
On the way home, we found ourselves going through even the treacherous sides of Baltimore. Gotta thank her GPS for that.
Thank you, Maryland
Though I wasn’t able to visit the National Aquarium or the B&O Railroad Museum as I had originally planned, my stay was definitely one I’d cherish.
I hope to come back someday, and maybe by then I’d have my husband and kids to share an even better experience with me.
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